Armand Rrassenfosse

Underestimated, often even scorned by an ever-intrusive Parisian style in days gone by, Walloon art luckily gained its rightful place in the 1970s. One of the choice artists who fell into neglect but who marked the end of the 19th Century was the Liège-born Armand Rassenfosse.

Although little known, this designer of posters and self-taught painter influenced by Art Nouveau illustrated the 1897 edition of Charles Baudelaire's famous Fleurs du Mal poetry collection. After having painted landscapes in the impressionist style at the turn of the 20th Century, he turned his attention to a more complex subject: women, whom he revealed in their intimate world, with great sensitivity. His style then changed to poetic realism, comparable to the representational art of the twenties. A friend of Félicien Rops, together they created a hitherto unknown ''soft varnish'' graphic technique, still called '' Ropsenfosse '' to this day. When he died in 1934, the Liège artist left behind 1430 etchings and 162 paintings, (excluding his posters).